We hear a lot about inspiration – or Muse – that drives an artist. What inspires you?

The universal human need for storytelling inspires me most of all. It is at heart a primal need to make sense of a chaotic universe, and the more random and uncertain the world seems to be, the more I feel the urge to create form, plumb the depths for answers, and create meaningful moments in drama to share with others in a communal space.

Tell us about your play … and why you wrote it?

My primary drive was to write a drama about an immigrant on a quest for a sense of belonging at a time when the notion of an immigrant’s place (particularly a Muslim immigrant) is a matter of much cultural and political debate. I am not exactly pleased that current events have conspired to make this story even more relevant now than when I first started writing it, but I think that context makes the play more necessary.

What do you want most in your chosen profession? It’s OK to say “fame” or “wealth.”

To keep writing and to keep collaborating with talented artists to get my work on stage. Nothing feels more fulfilling to me than that moment of connection when I feel that an audience really “gets” whatever I was trying to express with my writing.

Sally Field and Paul Newman both said of their profession… “it’s all I can do.” Is this all you can do?

At the risk of sounding immodest, writing is not all that I can do, but it is the thing I can do that I feel the most compelling urge to devote myself to.

Along those lines, if you couldn’t so this, what would you do?

Probably get more serious about unlocking the mysteries of theoretical physics, a topic that has always fascinated me.

Last words? 

I am extremely excited to be part of the Fringe Festival for the first time and am looking forward to seeing everyone’s hard work come to fruition on the stage.

Maximillian Singh Gill was born in India and received his master’s in creative writing in California. He has been based in New York for the past twelve years. His work has been staged by a number of companies and festivals in the United States, Canada, and England.